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Nature Discovery

You'll be close to nature wherever you travel in Australia, which is home to 550 national parks and 15 World Heritage- listed wonders. Discover the wetlands and wildlife of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park and of Litchfield National Park driving the Natures Way from Darwin. Follow the Great Alpine Road through the Australian Alps and Gippsland's lakes, beaches and national parks. Circle Tasmania, taking in tranquil beaches, pink mountains and blue-green sea in the east and dense World Heritage forest and wild rivers in the west. To truly immerse yourself in Australia's natural beauty, step out one of our many walking trails.

Wind through the Adelaide and Mary River wetlands to World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. Here you can bushwalk through rugged escarpments and lush rainforest and discover a treasure trove of Aboriginal rock ark. Learn about the Territory's pioneering history in Pine Creek and swim in crystal-clear waterholes in the tarzan landscape of Litchfield National Park. You can do this dream drive on a fully sealed road in a two-wheel-drive vehicle.

Soak up Hobart's convict history before heading to Freycinet National Park and the perfect curve of Wineglass Bay. Swim in St Helens and do the Bay of Fires Walk in Mount William National Park. Look over Launceston from Cataract Gorge and cycle along Devonport's waterfront. Soothe your soul in the World Heritage-listed wilderness of Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park. Stay in Strahan and cruise the Gordon River or white water raft the furious Franklin. Walk from waterfalls and fern forests to ski fields in Mount Field National Park. From the tranquil beaches of Tasmania's east to the rugged mountains flanking the west, this circle will leave you spellbound.

Take in fine food and wine in the Barossa and Clare Valleys, explore the rugged Flinders Ranges and meet wildlife galore on Kangaroo Island. Taste wine made by Jesuit priests in Sevenhill, climb the huge natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound and visit the historic copper-mining town of Burra. Swim, surf, snorkel and bushwalk along the Fleurieu Peninsula before getting up close to penguins in Penneshaw and a colony of sea lion at Seal Rocks on Kangaroo Island. This scenic drive takes in South Australia's most famous attractions on two smaller loops through the elegant capital of Adelaide.

Cross three states, four national parks and some of Australia's highest peaks on this tough long-distance walk. The trail follows the crest of the Australian Alps for 65km, from Walhalla in Victoria to Tharwa just south of Canberra. Wind up and down the Baw Baw Plateau, Mt Howitt, the Bogong High Plains and the Cobberras in Victoria. Traverse the rugged mountains of Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales and the rocky wilderness of Namadgi National Park near Canberra. Pitch your tent in the wilderness, stay in camping grounds, historic huts or alpine resorts close to the track. Do day treks or combine shorter, more manageable sections of the trail. The end-to-end walk takes about 50 to 60 days and is strictly for the intrepid traveller.

Hike all the way from Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula to the mountain town of Parachilna on the 1,200 kilometre Heysen Trail. Or mix and match day and multi-day walks, choosing from dramatic coastlines, farmland and forests, picturebook towns, vine-lined valleys and rugged mountain ranges. Like a quality box of chocolates, this trail offers the best of South Australia's wildly assorted scenic beauty. Walk next to waterfalls in Deep Creek Conservation Park and visit the historic German village of Hahndorf. Taste wine in the world-famous Barossa Valley and see settler-relics in the grazing country beyond. Head into the Flinders Ranges, where fossils date back millennia and Aboriginal rock art is as old as the Dreaming. Walk over Mt Remarkable and to the rim of the ancient, awe-inspiring crater of Wilpena Pound. Sleep in campsites, huts and shelters or in any of the towns dotting the trail.

Take in breathtaking Blue Mountains scenery and 200 years of history on this original 1884 horse track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. Suitable for walkers of average fitness, the 45km route can be broken into day walks or conquered comfortably in three days.

Take this leisurely drive to some of the 140 vineyards and 33 wineries dotting the countryside just outside Canberra. Team fine wine and food at the cool-climate wineries in Hall and Murrumbateman and buy handmade art, glassware and pottery from galleries in the Yass Valley. Go caving in the Wee Jasper Valley or fish from Lake Burrinjuck or Goodradigbee River. Fine dine in Gunning or the 19th century village of Gundaroo, where villagers still graze cattle on the town common. At the end of the day, rest your head in a boutique bed and breakfast, historic homestead or a luxurious country retreat. Soak up fine food and wine, local art and craft and stunning scenery on this classic country drive from Canberra.

Walk through lush Gondwanan rainforest and along the rim of an ancient, eroded volcano on this spectacular series of day walks. The trail traverses a landscape as old as the dinosaurs, linking World Heritage-listed Lamington and Springbrook plateaux with Egg Rock and Turtle Rock in the scenic Numinbah Valley. See the Tweed Volcano which erupted around 25 million years ago and the powerful, crystal-clear streams and waterfalls that continue to erode it today. Explore Woonoongoora, known to the local Yugambeh people as ‘Queen of the Mountains'. Learn their ancient ancestral legends of how the rivers and valleys were formed. Camp in the rainforest at Green Mountains, Woonoongoora and The Settlement or in the private camping area at Binna Burra. The best time to walk this track is between March and October, when temperatures are milder.

Walking is the best way to explore the natural sanctuary of Wilsons Promontory. Known as ‘The Prom' to locals, it embraces 50,000 hectares of coastal wilderness on mainland Australia's southernmost tip. The many well-marked trails traverse empty beaches and eucalypt forest, heath and swamp, cool rainforest gullies and rocky mountain tops. Opt for short and scenic trails, like the Loo-Errn Track, ideal for families and the mobility-impaired. Do a day trek to the lighthouse or spend three days on the Wilsons Promontory Circuit Trail, which starts from the main tourist hub of Tidal River. Scale Mount Oberon or hike out to remote and beautiful Millers Landing. Stay at campsites throughout the park and get up close to the park's incredible array of native plants, birds and animals. You can also dive and snorkel with magical marine life in the clear, protected waters offshore.

Step back in time in quaint colonial villages such as Berrima and Braidwood and explore the gracious gardens, art galleries and antique stores of Bowral and Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands. Wind through Australia's most fertile farming country to Yass, where Banjo Paterson lived on a farm here in his youth. Then explore the orchards and vineyards of the cherry capital of Young. Visit the cool-climate wineries near Murrumbateman and enjoy gourmet delights in Gundaroo and tiny Collector, before returning to Canberra. On this scenic touring route you can picnic on picturesque lakes and visit historic homesteads. See the sun fracture through the stained glass window of a century-old church and wander through rose gardens and cherry orchards. From food and wine to history and scenery, you'll savour the delights of the Capital Country region.

Explore World Heritage-listed rainforests, national parks, mountains and relaxed towns on short, scenic drives around the hinterland of the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. Travel through the foothills of the Great Dividing Range or watch the corkscrew progression of the Border Loop Spiral Train. Walk through the lush rainforest of Lamington National Park on your way to Tamborine Mountain. Fly the mountains and green farmland of the Scenic Rim on a glider or walk around the base of towering Mount Warning (Wollumbin). Drive from Lismore to spectacular Minyon Falls and climb to the rim of an ancient caldera in Border Ranges National Park.

Travel through the heart of Tasmania’s World Heritage-listed wilderness on this famous 65-kilometre trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Walk the entire Overland Track in six days or do short and day walks from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and Dove Lake. Remember the end-to-end walk requires planning. You’ll need to book in advance with Tasmania’s Parks & Wildlife Service and take with you a good tent and warm sleeping bag. While the route has eight basic stove-heated huts, there’s no guarantee of space. The best time to walk the track is between November and April, when the weather is milder and days are longer for Daylight Saving. During April, you can see the spectacular changing colours of the deciduous beech. As well as a physical challenge, this walk is a true communion with nature. You’ll see lakes, forests and gorges, mountains and moors, spectacular waterfalls and steep, stony peaks.

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Tasmania’s east coast on this attraction-packed drive. Sea kayak and hunt down history on Maria Island, sample farm-fresh berries and wine near Swansea and take in the perfect contours of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Stop in Bicheno, where you can cling to the coastline on a motorised trike ride or see fairy penguins waddle home at dusk. Bushwalk in the rainforest of Douglas-Apsley National Park and game fish or dive from the picturesque port of St Helens Park. Swim in the calm, clear waters of Binnalong Bay and follow the Bay of Fires walk past Aboriginal middens, woodlands and powder-white beaches. Finish your journey in a remote eco-lodge with soul-stirring ocean views.

Travel from Melbourne through the Australian Alps to the lakes, beaches and national parks of Gippsland. Stop in Milawa for cheeses and Rutherglen for wine. Horse ride and mountain bike in Mount Buffalo National Park. Connect to gold-rush history and the legend of Ned Kelly in Glenrowan and Beechworth. Ski on Mount Hotham or walk through spring wildflowers on the Bogong High Plains. Canoe down the Mitchell River and swim, fish and surf on Ninety-Mile Beach. On Australia's highest accessible sealed road you can feast on fresh produce and fish, cycle, ski, climb or ride every step of the way.

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